


Up's and down's

by fandomgurl77



Series: Post-Movie Universe [5]
Category: The Greatest Showman(2017)
Genre: Bomb, Circus Train, Crime, Death, Evil, Explosion, F/M, Flashback, Flirting, Food allergy, Funny, Gen, Happy Ending, I'm Hungry, Manslaughter, Memories, Miscarriage, Period-Typical Racism, Pregnancy, Sad, Suggestive language, Swimming, Tearjerker, Tears, Woo-hoo!, and thirsty, hurrah!!, no-one dies don't worry, phew!, sexual suggestion, three cheers for me, train, yay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:40:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24750214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomgurl77/pseuds/fandomgurl77
Summary: Julian and Tabitha's married life begins. However, life has it's moments...
Relationships: Julian(OC)/Tabitha(OC), Phillip Carlyle/Anne Wheeler
Series: Post-Movie Universe [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718617
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

_The date is May 3 rd, 1894; Julian is 22, Ethel is eight and Tabitha is 24 and has been pregnant with twins for two months and one day…_

‘Right’, Julian said as he stood up at the front of the main carriage while the train pulled in to the station, ‘We’re finally here at our next stop.’

‘About time too’, Lettie said, ‘Especially considering that we were trapped between two rockslides for half of last week before the tracks were cleared.’

‘I know’, Julian said, ‘We were the main story in the local newspaper as well during that time.’

‘Anyway’, Phillip said, ‘We’ve got to unpack for tomorrow’s show.’

‘Yes’, everyone said.

**At 1:20 the next afternoon…**

‘Where the heck is Julian?’ Tabitha thought while sitting in the front row of the middle stand, ‘The show’s about to start.’

‘Don’t worry’, W.D said beside her, ‘He’ll be here on time.’

Suddenly, Tabitha saw a familiar red and gold-cladded figure fly to the front of the main ring from one of the sides of the tent and descend to the ground via a hoop.

‘Oh, my goodness’, Tabitha said, ‘Did you see that?’

‘Yes’, W.D said, ‘Julian is not only the ringmaster, but is highly skilled when it comes to trapeze work too.’

‘I see’, Tabitha said, ‘I bet I know where he got those skills from as well…’

‘Anyway’, W.D said, ‘It’s time to be quiet and enjoy the show like everyone else.’

However, not everyone in the audience was expecting to see Julian flying in…or to even be running the show…


	2. Chapter 2

‘Come on’, a young man named Michael said to his two friends, Dennis and Aimee as the audience left after the show, ‘Let’s go.’

‘You must have read my mind, Michael’, Dennis said as the trio descended to the ground from the stand, ‘I’m never coming here again.’

‘Tell me about it’, Aimee said as she sneaked a quick glance at Julian, ‘Why they would have someone like _that guy_ as the ringmaster, I don’t know.’

‘Guys’, Michael said when they were outside a few seconds later, ‘I have an idea regarding this…’

‘What is it?’ Dennis asked.

‘I was thinking we could…’ Michael began as the trio huddled together before he finished what he was saying.

‘Sounds like a great idea’, Dennis said.

‘Yes’, Michael said with a slightly evil grin on his face, ‘They won’t know what hit them…’

Two weeks and seven shows later, the train was just about to pull out of the station when Michael, covered by the darkness of night, managed to quietly climb up the steps onto the main carriage, open the door and attach something to one of the walls under a seat in the middle row, before closing the door and leaving.

‘Did you attach the device?’ Aimee asked.

‘Yes’, Michael said, ‘It’s hidden under one of the seats in the middle of the carriage…until tomorrow, that is.’

**At 11:50 the next morning…**

‘No way!’ Ethel said as Julian, Tabitha, Phillip and Anne sat at a table in the back of the dining car, ‘You decided to get a bowl of chips for lunch?’

‘Yes’, Phillip said, ‘I thought it would be a good way to celebrate Julian’s first show as a married man a couple of weeks ago.’

‘Oh, Dad’, Julian said while blushing.

‘What?’ Phillip said, ‘An achievement like this is a cause for celebration.’

It was then that Julian noticed something unusual out the window coming from the main carriage.

‘Dad’, he said, ‘Why is there smoke outside?’

‘That’s from the chimney on the locomotive, son’, Phillip replied, ‘There’s nothing to be worried about.’

‘Um…’ Julian said as black smoke drifted from the carriage behind the diner car, ‘Are you sure about that, because something doesn’t seem right…’

Suddenly, Lettie burst in through the door beside him.

‘FIRE!!’ she shouted as she pulled the emergency stop cable.

‘What??’ Phillip said as the car quickly emptied after the train came to a stop, ‘What the heck is going on?’

‘Come on, Phillip’, Anne said, ‘I’m not risking losing you again.’

It was then he saw a small burst of flame through the window.

‘AAAHHH!’ he screamed in terror as he stood up and ran towards the other side of the car, ‘I don’t want to be burned, again!’

Meanwhile, Lettie and some of the others had managed to disconnect the diner car and locomotive from the burning carriage, while Jumbo and Alice pulled the rest of the carriages and boxcars a few metres away.

‘You need to move away from here, now!’ Lettie said to the driver in the locomotive’s cab, ‘We don’t want the fire to spread.’

In response, the driver moved the locomotive a safe distance from the burning carriage just as it went to flashover.

‘Whoa!’ everyone said as the entire length exploded in a bright mixture of orange and red, ‘It’s a good thing no-one was in there when this happened.’

‘Not to mention that we only just managed to save the rest of the train’, Lettie said just as firefighters from a nearby town turned up.

‘What happened here?’ one of them asked.

‘We don’t know’, Lettie replied, ‘I saw smoke coming from one of the windows and it just exploded a few minutes later.’

Meanwhile, Julian was unable to find Tabitha anywhere amongst the chaos.

‘Guys’, he asked desperately, ‘Where’s Tabitha?’

‘I’m right here’, Tabitha replied when she walked up to him, before collapsing due to heat exhaustion.

‘Tabitha!’ Julian shouted as he picked her up, ‘No!!’


	3. Chapter 3

Later that day, Julian visited Tabitha at the town’s hospital.

‘How are you?’ he asked. ‘You gave me and everyone quite a scare.’

‘Excuse me’, the doctor said, ‘Are you Tabitha’s husband?’

‘Yes’, Julian said, ‘Why?’

‘You do know that she was pregnant with twins, right?’ the doctor asked.

‘Yes’, Julian said before he realised that he said “was” instead of “is.”

‘Well then’, the doctor said as he sat in a chair beside the bed, ‘You might want to sit down for what I’m about to tell you.’

‘Ok’, Julian said as he sat in another chair, completely unaware of the coming shock.

‘Mr. Ugabe-Carlyle, I’m afraid to say…that your wife has had a double miscarriage due to the heat exhaustion she experienced earlier today.’

‘What??’ Julian said with tears forming in his eyes, ‘This can’t be happening!’

‘I’m terribly sorry about this’, the doctor said, ‘My deepest sympathies go out to you all.’

**After the doctor left the room…**

‘I can’t believe this!’ Julian sobbed, ‘We’ve lost the twins!’

‘I know’, Tabitha sobbed before bursting into tears, ‘I…I feared that this could happen…but never thought it would be true.’

‘No matter what has happened, I still love you’, Julian said before he hugged and kissed her, ‘Besides, we can always start again when the time is right.’

‘Speaking of that’, Tabitha sobbed with a tear-stained face, ‘The doctor said that I have to wait for a week and a half for everything to be cleaned out.’

**At 7:00 that evening…**

‘Everyone’, Julian said in front of the burnt-out remains of the carriage, ‘I and Tabitha have tragic news for you all.’

‘What is it?’ Lettie asked.

‘We’ve…we’ve…lost the twins!’ Julian sobbed before bursting into tears, followed by Tabitha.

‘Come here, son’, Phillip said as he hugged him, ‘None of this is anyone’s fault.’

‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘Besides, it could have been any one of us.’

It was then that a group of people walking down the street in front of them stopped and began laughing cruelly in response and shouting racial abuse.

‘Seriously?’ Lettie asked the group, ‘Do you not have anything better to do than to laugh at our misfortunes?’

‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘And those words you’ve been shouting at us are just plain sad and boring, so get a life.’


	4. Chapter 4

At 7:30 the following morning, the train was on the move again to the next destination, albeit pulling the burnt-out carriage, which was covered by a large piece of spare canvas, behind the caboose.

‘Right’, Julian said to everyone in the new main carriage, ‘After that setback yesterday, we’re finally going to be arriving at our next destination later today.’

**Three months later, on 3 rd September…**

‘Happy birthday, Tabitha!’ everyone shouted in the main part of the tent.

‘Thank you all’, Tabitha said, ‘Besides, I have exciting news.’

‘What is it?’ everyone asked.

‘I’m overjoyed to announce that…I’m pregnant again!’ Tabitha replied.

‘Congratulations!’ Lettie said, ‘How many are there this time?’

‘The doctor said that there is not one, not two, but three this time around’, Tabitha said.

‘Anyway’, Julian said, ‘Since we don’t have any shows on today, why don’t we go swimming at the new pools that have just opened?’

‘That’s a great idea!’ Phillip said.

**At the pools…**

‘How do I look?’ Julian asked when he walked out of the changing room wearing his blue and yellow-striped swimming trunks.

‘You look absolutely stunning in those’, Tabitha replied while blushing.

**An hour and 30 minutes later…**

‘So, Tabitha’, Julian said while they walked down the right-hand side of the Aqua Jogging lane of the big pool, ‘I see you’re more active than you were during the last two days.’

‘I know’, Tabitha said, ‘I was in bed with a small bowl to vomit into.’

‘Not to mention you went through a total of five different bowls’, Julian said.

‘At least that’s all passed now’, Tabitha said, ‘Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to be here with you.’

‘Oh, Tabitha’, Julian said while blushing, ‘You didn’t need to say that.’

‘But it’s true’, Tabitha said, ‘I can’t imagine not having you around.’

‘Me neither’, Julian said, ‘Speaking of that, I want to show you just how fast I can reach the far end.’

‘Ok’, Tabitha said.

A couple of minutes later, he had reached the deep end of the pool.

‘Wow!’ Tabitha said dreamily as she swam over, ‘You’re so fast.’

‘Would you agree that I’m quick with _anything_ else as well?’ Julian asked.

‘Julian!’ Tabitha replied playfully, ‘I never thought you could be so cheeky.’

It was then that she noticed a familiar shape floating in the water beside him, so she reached out and picked it up.

‘Um, Tabitha?’ Julian asked, ‘Why are you holding my trunks?’

‘Trunks?’ Tabitha replied as she looked at the stripy blue and yellow material before looking down, ‘Sweet cheese, these are yours!’

‘At least the water is refracting light, so no-one will be able to see anything so long as we are in here’, Julian said, ‘However, getting out will present a few issues…’


	5. Chapter 5

‘Ok, Julian’, Tabitha said when she brought his towel over to the top of the pool’s access ramp, ‘It’s time to come out now.’

However, Julian made it only half-way up the ramp before stopping, since the water level was barely high enough to provide coverage.

‘Sorry, Tabitha’, he said, ‘I just can’t do it. You’re going to have to come down and give me the towel.’

‘Ok’, Tabitha said before she waded down the ramp.

‘Thanks’, Julian said as he wrapped the towel around himself, only for the bottom to float on top of the water.

‘Um…are you sure that this will cover me when I get out?’ he asked.

‘Of course, it will’, Tabitha replied, ‘It will descend when you get out of the pool.’

‘Ok then’, Julian said as he began slowly walking up the ramp, ‘If you say so.’

**A few seconds later…**

‘See?’ Tabitha said as they left the pool, ‘That wasn’t so hard, especially now that you’re covered.’

‘I suppose you’re right’, Julian said as they walked back to the changing rooms, only to pass a vent in the left wall of the corridor between the pools and rooms that was blowing cool air in for air-conditioning.

‘Just a minute, Tabitha’, Julian said as he stopped in front of it, ‘This feels kind of nice when it hits the part of the towel that was in the water…’

‘Um, right?’ Tabitha said, ‘Anyway, everyone will be waiting for us by now, so we need to go.’

However, Julian was standing completely still in front of the vent.

‘Man, this feels good’, he thought as something caused part of the towel to bulge outwards slightly.

‘Seriously, Julian’, Tabitha said when she walked over, ‘It’s time to get dried off and dressed.’

‘Ok’, Julian said as he turned to face her, ‘I think that’s enough for one day anyway.’

‘Um, Julian…’ Tabitha whispered, ‘Look down.’

‘What is it?’ Julian said before he saw the small outwards bump, ‘I can’t see…oh…’

‘Now I know why you were standing in front of the vent there’, Tabitha said.

‘I was drying the excess moisture out of the towel’, Julian whispered, ‘What did you think I was doing?’

‘Well’, Tabitha whispered as the bump disappeared, ‘It looks like you were _really_ enjoying the cool breeze from there.’

‘Anyway’, Julian said, ‘It’s gone now, so let’s go.’


	6. Chapter 6

_A week later…_

‘Julian’, Tabitha said as they were looking at a photo of P.T on the wall across from Phillip’s room in the first sleeper car, ‘What happened to P.T?’

‘Oh’, Julian said, ‘If you come with me to my room, I’ll tell you.’

‘Ok’, Tabitha said as she followed him down the isle and out the door.

**In Julian’s room…**

‘Right’, Julian began as he closed the door and sat down on the bed beside Tabitha, ‘It happened on November 18th, 1880…’

_‘Here’s to another great year!’ Lettie said as she uncovered a plate of small cupcakes on a long table filled with platters of food, ‘Let’s eat!’_

_‘Yes!’ everyone said._

‘You see’, Julian said, ‘P.T was allergic to vanilla, so any desserts couldn’t have any components or extracts of any part of the vanilla plant in them.’

_‘Are you absolutely positive that the cupcakes don’t contain vanilla?’ P.T asked._

_‘I asked about that at the bakery down the road and they gave me this list of ingredients’, Lettie replied, ‘I’ve read it myself a few times and can honestly say there’s no vanilla in them.’_

_‘Ok’, P.T said, ‘Thanks.’_

‘Half an hour later, the unthinkable happened…’ Julian said.

_‘Um, P.T?’ Lettie asked, ‘Why are you covered with red spots?’_

_‘Oh no’, P.T replied, ‘It’s happening again!’_

_‘I think you should go and lie down’, Lettie said, ‘You’re in no condition to stay here.’_

_‘I suppose you’re right’, P.T said._

‘A few minutes passed, and he was gone’, Julian said.

_‘Everyone, listen up’, Lettie said, ‘P.T has had some sort of reaction to the cupcakes, even though the ingredients say that there’s no vanilla in them.’_

_‘Oh my, not again!’ Anne said, ‘We all remember what happened last time with the biscuits; it nearly killed him.’_

_‘Yes’, Phillip said, ‘It was extremely frightening for everyone.’_

_It was then that Julian burst into the room whilst in tears._

_‘What’s wrong, son?’ Anne asked._

_‘It’s P.T’, Julian sobbed, ‘He’s c…completely unresponsive!’_

_‘Right!’ Phillip said, ‘Let’s go and see what’s going on.’_

_‘Oh, my goodness, P.T!’ Phillip shouted, ‘Wake up!’_

_However, there was no response even when Phillip banged two metal trays together to cause a loud clanging sound._

_‘Nothing’s working!’ he said while holding back tears._

_It was then that W.D broke the news that no-one wanted to hear._

_‘Everyone’, he said, ‘I just checked for a heartbeat, and there isn’t one.’_

_‘What!?’ everyone asked in shock before Phillip and Lettie fainted._

_‘I’m afraid he’s gone’, W.D replied before he burst into tears._

_‘Ugh’, Phillip said when he stood up, only for Anne and Julian to hug him, ‘What happened?’_

_‘P.T is gone!’ Anne sobbed._

‘It was later revealed that the cupcakes at the party that night were to blame’, Julian said, ‘The bakery later admitted that one of its workers, who was subsequently fired and jailed, mistook the white chocolate cupcakes which had been ordered for a batch of very similarly coloured vanilla and lime ones.’


	7. Epilogue

_Six months later, the circus was in Norrisville again when something wonderful happened._

‘Julian!’ Phillip shouted from up the hall, ‘Tabitha’s got a surprise for you!’

‘Ok’, Julian said excitedly as he pushed the sheet covering the doorway across and back again, ‘I think I know what this is going to be…’

‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘You’re officially a father of three now.’

‘Oh, my goodness’, Julian said, ‘When did this happen?’

‘It all happened within the last hour’, Phillip said, ‘Anyway, congratulations!’

‘Thanks’, Julian said before he walked into the room he shared with Tabitha.

‘How’s everything going in here?’ he asked.

‘Everything is fine’, Tabitha replied, ‘The midwife had just left before Phillip called for you. Anyway, we have two sons and one daughter now, and I’ve already decided to name the boy with the circular birthmark on his back Burt.’

‘Ok then’, Julian said, ‘If that’s the case, why don’t we name his brother Curt, like my grandfather’s name but spelt with a “C”, plus it could be a shortened version of “Curtis”.’

‘Sounds great!’ Tabitha said, ‘ _Burt_ and _Curt_ , I like it.’

‘Oh, and since we’re in Norrisville for the next week, how’s about we give their sister a Japanese-sounding name, like Ao, short for Aoki?’ Julian asked.

‘Ok’, Tabitha replied.


End file.
